Apparatus for erecting the nap of a fabric



May 31, 1938. J. H. RICHA APPARATUS FOR ERECTING THE NAP OF A FABRICFiled Dec. 9, 1935 IN VEN TOR.

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' 71% ATTORNEY Patented May: 31, 1938 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-John H. Richa, Kansas City, Mo. Application December 9, 1935, Serial No.53,581

8 Claims.

ing a garment in a manner adapting it for quick and easy treatment inraising the nap thereof, and a novel nozzle for forcing steam throughthe fabric.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel apparatus forraising the nap of a garment, such as a velvet dress, which is simple,l5 cheap .to make and operate, which is strong, durable, not likely toget out of order, and which is efllcient in its operation.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodimentof my invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away of myimproved apparatus shown supporting a dress to be treated,'portions ofthe dress being broken away, and parts omitted.

Fig. 2 is a topyiew of the air conductor having the blower.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly the skirt expanding member.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the nozzle and parts connected therewith,partly broken away, shown applied operatively to a piece of velvet shownin edge elevation.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of the nozzle, partly broken away.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 68 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is an end view of the nozzle.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the member which releasablyattaches the skirt supporting member to the air conductor.

Similar characters of reference designate similar traits in thedifferent views.

l designates an air conductor-which includes a blower 2 having a rotaryshaft 3 on which is mounted a pulley 4. A=belt 5 connects the'pulieybroken away of l with a pulley 8 on the driving shaft 1 of a motor 8 ofany usual type. s h

When the motor rotates the blower shaft 3 counterclockwise, as viewed inFig. 1, the radial blades 9 of the blower will force air through theconductor l and out-of the upwardly inclined outlet portion 18 of theair conductor. 55' The air discharged from the outlet portion l8 isdesigned to distend a garment, such as a velvet dress ll, disposed so asto receive therethrough axially the discharged current of air.

For engaging and expanding and revolvingthe bottom portion of the skirtof the garment ii, there is provided a supporting member comprising twocrossed bars l2 welded or otherwise integrally attached to each other,and having at their intersection a transverse hole through which extendsa shouldered screw l3 on which the supporting member I2 is revoluble,Figs. 1, 3 and 8.

The crossed bars l2 have respectively at their outer ends resilient Tshaped radial portions ll, which are adapted to be bent toward eachother inwardly, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1, and made to engagethe inner side of the bottom portion of the skirt of the dress II. Bypermitting the engaged radial portions ll to expand, the

bottom portion of the skirt will be held expanded.

The lower shouldered threaded end of the screw I3 is tightly fitted in athreaded hole 15 of an arm i8 of a hook member 11, which has an arm 18parallel with the arm l6, and disposed between and parallel with twoarms 19 of the hook member. A collar 28 is disposed between the arm i8and the adjacent cross bar 12.

Two crossed bars 2| and 22 are mounted rigidly in the outer end of thedischarge or outlet portion 18. The two arms 19 are adapted to en'- gagethe opposite edges respectively of the bar 22 and the under side of thebar 23, and the arm I8 is so spaced above the arms I! that it willengage the upper side of the bar 23, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. Toremove the supporting member l2, .the hook member I] is slid upwardlytothe 'left, as viewed in Fig. 1, thus releasing the bars 22 and 23 fromholding engagement with the arms 19 and I8. Reversing this operationoperatively engages the hook member with the cross bars 22 and 23 andcauses the hook member 11 to revolubly support the member l2 in itsoperative position.

For revolubly supporting the upper or neck portion of the dress II agarment hanger 24 of usual type engages the upper part of the dress I iin a' well known manner. the garment hanger 24 has swivelled engagementwith a link 26 attached to one end of a rope 21 supported on a pulley 28and having attached to .its other end a weight 29.

The pulley 28 is disposed so as to position the hook with itsaxis'alined with the inclined axis of the skirt supporting member 12,whereby when the latter is revolved, the dress Ii will A hook 25engaging be gievolved and with it the hook 26 and hanger The weight 29,through the intermediacy of the rope 21, link 26, hook 25, and hanger28, holds the dress stretched lengthwise.

When the motor revolves the blower blades 9, a current of air will bedischarged from the conductor I into and lengthwise through the dressll, thereby distending the latter. While the dress II is thus distended,steam under pressure, is discharged forcibly from the inside of thedress outwardly through the fabric thereof, thus moistening and liftingand causing to stand outwardly nap which has flattened on the outer sideof the dress.

The air under pressure in the dress while the latter is having the steamprojected through it effects a triple function.

The air distends the dress so that when the steam is applied to thelatter it will not collapse and interfere with the projection of the.steam through the fabric.

The air by distending and stretching the dress laterally enables thesteam to pass with less resistance through the interstices in the fabricwall.

The air quickly dries the fabric after the steam has erected the nap ontheouter side of the fabric, thus causing the nap which has been raisedto retain its standing position.

For projecting steam through the fabric I provide a nozzle having a stem30, having one end connected to a hose 3| adapted to be connected to asource of steam, as a boiler, not shown, where steam is retained underpressure, Figs. 1 and 4.

The discharge end of the stem 30 extends laterally and is externallythreaded, as shown in Fig. 6. A thimble 32 has its outer end providedwith discharge openings 33, the inner end of the thimble beinginternally threaded and fitted on the threaded discharge end of the stem30. The thimble 32 at its inner'end engages a collar 35 which encirclesthe stem 30, and holds the collar tightly on the stem.

' Two U shaped guard members 36 have their inner ends fastened to andextending forwardly from the outer side of the collar 35. The guardmembers 36 are adapted to slide against the inner sideof the fabric ofthe dress H, and hold the discharge end of the nozzle spaced from thefabric, so that the latter is not liable to .be damaged by heat from thenozzle tip or thimble 32.

In the stem 30 is provided a shut off valve 31 of any common type, whichis opened and closed by a1;I operatinglever 38 pivoted to the stem 30,Fig.

In Fig. 4 is shown in edge elevation a piece of fabric, as of velvet, 39the outer side of which is I provided with a nap, some of which,designated by 40 lies flattened against the body 39. When the nozzle isoperated-to discharge steam against the inner side of the fabric 39opposite to the flattened nap 40, the steam being projected forciblythrough the fabric body 39 will bring the nap on the outer side thereofto the' erect or standing position, designated by 4| in Fig. 4.

What has just been described takes place Y when the nozzle is insertedinto the dress ll and is moved along with the guard members 36 bearingagainst the inner side of the fabric of the dress. When the valve 31 isopened and the steam is discharged from the nozzle through the fabric,the nap on the outer side of the dress will be'made to stand out fromthe body, and

the air will distend the dress and dry the fabric.

By having the dress revoluble on an inclined axis, as shown in Fig. 1,the nozzle may be easily operated by inserting it from the lower end ofthe dress, and the latter may be revolved on its axis, as the nap isbeing erected, to enable easy access of the nozzle to all the inner partof the dress.

In the operation of the apparatus, the dress II to be treated has itsshoulder portions engaged by the hanger 24. The resilient arms H of themember l2 are sprung inwardly at their outer end portions and engagedwith the inner side and bottom portion of the skirt, as shown in Fig. 1.The weight 29 draws the dress taut lengthwise.. The blower is thenoperated to discharge air from the conductor l lengthwise through thedress, thereby distending the latter so as to hold it in condition forthe projection of the steam outwardly through the dress fabric.

The nozzle is then inserted into the dress, and the steam caused to bedischarged from the nozzle. The latter is then operated as has beendescribed, by pressing the guard members outwardly against the innerside of the distended dress. and moving the nozzle so as to slide theguard members against the dress from one place to another, as the nap iserected by the steam discharged through the fabric.

. Modifications within the scope of the appended claims, may be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention. What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for erecting the nap on the outer side of a garment,means for engaging the garment at its upper and lower end portions andsupportingit in an inclined position, means for distending thesupported'garment with air, and means manuallyinsertable and movable inall directions in the garment for forcibly projecting steam outwardlythrough the fabric of the distended garment.

2. In an apparatus for erecting the nap on the outer side of a garment,means forengaging the garment atits upper and lower end portions and spporting it revolubly on its axis in an inclined position, means fordistending the supported garment with air, and means manually insertableand movable in all directions in the garment for forcibly projectingsteam outwardly through the fabric of the distended garment.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a

' supporting member having resilient radial arms holding engagement withsaid support, and means independent of said support anchoringandrevolubly supporting'the other end of the garment.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, means for revolubly supportinga garment on its longltudinal axis, and a nozzle removably insertableinto .the garment so supported and having an outlet through which steamis adapted to be projected laterally outwardly through the fabric.

of the garment, said nozzle having a guard mem-.

ber projecting outwardly beyond said outlet and adapted to havetraveling engagement with the inner side of said garment and to hold thelatter spaced from said outlet. 7

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, an

, air conductor,.means .for forcing air through said conductor, meansfor supporting andholding expanded one end portion of a garment, meansrotatably supporting said means in a position in which air dischargedfrom said conductor will enter said expanded portion of the garment,means independent of said supporting means for revolubly supporting theother end of said garment with its axis alined with the axis of saidfirst named supporting means, and means for forcing steam laterally"outwardly through the fabric of the supported garment.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, an

air conductor, means for discharging air from said conductor upwardly ina direction inclined to the vertical, means for supporting a garmentrotatably on and adjacent to the discharge end of said conductor withits axis lengthwise of the garment and in the path of and parallel withthe current of air discharged from said conductor into said garment, andmeans including a nozzle being manually movable against the inner sideof the garment and insertable into said garment so supported, saidnozzle having an outlet adapted to discharge steam forcibly outwardlythrough the fabric of the supported garment.

'7. In an apparatus of the kind described, an air conductor having amember across its discharge end, a member having means for engaging andholding expanded one open end of a garment, and a hook member havingmeans for releasable holding engagement with said first named member andhaving swivelled engagement with said garment expanding member.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, an

air conductor having two crossed members across its discharge end, amember having means for engaging and holding expanded one openend of agarment, and a hook member having means for releasable holdingengagement with said crossed members at the intersection of the latterand having swivelled engagement with said garment expanding member.

JOHN H. RICHA.

